Half Human
by Zuyuri92
Summary: In the coastal city of Sesolt, Moana is a lifeguard just set on living her life. A life with the burden of being half-human and half-mermaid. In Sesolt, half-humans - be they half mermaid, half-dragon, or half-faerie - are considered freaks in society. Moana has supportive friends, but when she rescues a young man from drowning, a chain reaction is set off...
1. Chapter 1: The Sesolt Reef

Whether you're religious or not, people say some great deity created the world. The truth is, it was created by three beings; The fairies of the air, the dragons of the earth, and the merpeople of the sea. They stayed well out of sight from mankind. Yet they have been sighted time after time. Humans either loved or hated them. Sometimes, the union between a human and a fantastical, as they were called, resulted in the birth of a child of unbelievable power. The meetings continued despite interferences and many a half-blood was born, continuing even to the present day. Modern mankind has dismissed the fantasticals as just stories, but some humans still remain aware of their presence.

The rush of the ocean whistled past Moana's ears as she paddled through the currents. She had some time before she had to get back to the lifeguard post. It was just enough time to catch in a swim. The ocean was like an old friend…or family member…rushing to give her a hug. The salt stung at her eyes but she didn't stop to rub or cry. The green murk of the ocean turned into cyan the farther she swam out. The tiny minnows and grayish fish closer to shore were replaced by brighter colors from either coral or brighter fish streaking through the open sea. This had always been her favorite part about going out into the sea and seeing the ocean transform. None of the other lifeguards were able to swim as far out as her. Not without the constant fear of riptides or high waves. Moana knew these dangers, too, but the ocean always listened to her and provided a protective shield. Literally. As she swam, the sea created an invisible bubble.

Through the blue-green of the water, she smiled widely at the secondary change. Not on the scenery, but on herself. While she couldn't fuse her legs together and make a fishtail like she always wanted, she did notice something aquatic happen. Her arms were dusted lightly with the tiniest of green scales. The largest was the size of her small toenail. She had her father to thank for that.  
Her father would come to visit from time to time. They said she had inherited his courage to go out into hair raising craziness. She, well, also seemed to inherit his green scales. Moana paused, coming to touch the shell locket her grandmother had given her. Inside was a green piece of nephrite carved with spirals. It was a sweet sixteen present from her father. He'd be by on Sunday, he said. At their usual spot, the black rocks at the south side of the beach.

A red-gold fish darted past her nose, and Moana's brown eyes widened. Her shift. She would be late if she just stayed out here for as long as she could. She began paddling back, letting the sea guide her back to the tide pools.

It always dropped her off near that area. Ever since she was a baby. Her grandmother said when her mother brought her to the beach for the first time, the sea parted as it did for Moses and let her wander around before picking her up and setting her back on driftwood.

Mom. Mom had been arrested by the Knights of Humanity. They had found out the truth about Moana's father. Sina Waialiki had come willingly with them. Moana shut her eyes, letting her tears blend in with the harsh saltwater of the sea. She hadn't seen her mother in years. Gramma was an awesome substitute, but it wasn't the same.

Moana gripped the closest shelf of rock as the ocean coasted her to a stop. She pulled herself over the ledge of stone…

…and nearly fell back into the sea with a squeal the how close a face with blue hair and blue eyes was.

"What the heck, Aqua?!" Moana cried out as her friend laughed.

Aqua had been one of Moana's oldest friends. So much so that the blue-haired girl was one of the only few people that knew Moana's secret. She had never ratted her out to the Knights of Humanity. Instead, she asked questions and nodded and smiled each time. The tide pools were part of their collective hangouts when they got sick of sitting at the mall sipping iced teas or walking down their campus. Or in Aqua's ideal hangout, the bookstore. The tide pools had been where Moana showed off her secret, so Aqua had made a habit of checking these areas before Moana's shift.

"Tick tock, Moana," Aqua smirked, tapping her wrist at an imaginary watch. "You've got five minutes until your shift."

Moana shook out her wet brown hair, spraying her friend. There was a cry from Aqua and Moana laughed. "Turn about!" she called, pulling herself out of the water. Aqua gave her the blue and green Hawaiian print beach towel so she could dry off. The green scales dissolved away like disappearing ink. They would return when she touched saltwater again. She wrapped her hair in the towel up high and rushed to get her lifeguard bag. Her civilian clothes were still safe and dry. Reluctantly, she took off the shell locket and buried it beneath the folds of clothes.

"You see him today?" Aqua asked.

"He comes whenever he feels," Moana answered.

Aqua looked out to the horizon. The blur of blues was a stark contrast to her locks. "You know, you should have him come down here."

"Oh, sure," Moana rolled her eyes, "Hey, Dad, meet my friend Aqua…"

"Oh, and leave me out? Thanks, Moana."

A new voice echoed from someone walking around the bend. How Elsa always managed to look elegant and stylish was a mystery Moana could never solve. Her platinum blonde hair, which was almost white in the afternoon light, was plaited into its signature thick side braid. Her blue eyes were the same shade as the sky. There was a reason so many men fawned over her. Despite all the attention, Elsa could care less about being popular. She always chose to hang out with Aqua and Moana, choosing them over socialite affairs.

"Elsa!" Aqua cried in delight.

"I thought I'd find you two down here," Elsa approached them. 'How far did you swim out today, Mo?"

"I got up to the second to last shelf along the reef," Moana folded her towel.

"Not bad," Elsa nodded, looking out to the sea.

Aqua grabbed a notepad from her book bag and began writing something down. "Adding that to the logbook," she reported. "That's a new record for you."

Elsa shook her head, "Aqua, Moana's our friend, not a science experiment!"

"If I want to be put anywhere, I'd pick the circus," Moana quipped.

Aqua stretched. "I guess that is better than science…who knows what they do to half-bloods." Her face became a mask of disapproval.

Moana stood up and gave her hair one last shake. The drops of water hit her friends who laughed and shrieked before scooting away. She already had her bright red swimsuit for her lifeguarding on, but she was still dripping with seawater. "That's what I'd do to half-bloods if they ever tried to tie me up," she posed in an overdramatic superhero pose.

Elsa applauded. "Brava, Moana."

Aqua smiled. "Now go save some lives. We'll call you if we're still by the beach."

Moana saluted. "Aye aye!" After winking to her girlfriends and picking up her bag, she sauntered off to work on her duty. It was worth getting a dip in before sitting onn dry land for extended periods of timing making 9.18 an hour. It'd be worth it.


	2. Chapter 2: Protests and Poetry

The waves lapped against the support of the pier Aqua and Elsa walked on after Moana had rushed to her job. This left the two of them wandering the land. Yes, they liked the water as much as their best friend, but after getting drenched from her, it was time to head for dry ground. Or at least, ground still close to the water without getting too soaked. They bought peach smoothies - which had been Aqua's favorite but then she got her friend hooked on them – and began a casual stroll. They stopped at a small bookstore to look at what was on offer. Nothing new, and really nothing that jumped out as a "have to buy" status.

So, they headed back to the white and tan buildings that made up their campus. Aqua found it in bad taste that the school was named after a famous dragon slayer. Elsa agreed, but much to her dismay, her parents had insisted she attend. It was the closest to an Ivy League school near them that they could send their daughter to, despite their prejudice against half-bloods and the school being mixed crowds. Elsa had kept both her rooming with a half-blood and her fashion design major a secret from her family. She was studying music as they had asked, but that was only her minor.

"So, homecoming ceremony is in a few days," Aqua said.

Elsa massaged her temples, "Don't remind me." Much to her dismay, she had been one of the few students selected for homecoming court. People had written her name down and given it to the committee, along with several other hopeful women. The announcement that sealed her fate had been the one where it said she would be declared Homecoming Queen. Unlike high school, where it just a popularity contest, college homecomings were based on random selection. The student body picked out candidates from grades. Elsa wouldn't say she was a straight-A student, but her GPA wasn't terrible. It had been high enough to earn her this supposed big honor. Everyone had voted for her – or at least, most everyone did. The only person who had come up to announce their vote for her had been Namine, the sweet pencil artist who sat next to Elsa in Figure Drawing.

Aqua swirled the ice in her cup, "You're not excited?"

"No, I'm not," Elsa admitted. "I liked it better when I was the figure skater with two close friends, one of which is part mermaid. Is that too much to ask?"

On the ice, Elsa had felt the most at peace with herself. At first, it had been a hobby she picked up because her parents didn't approve of her more "unorthodox" lifestyle choices. Honestly, her parents were disapproving of her doing anything where she could be expressive. Figure skating, she had argued, was just ballet with a challenge thrown in. That had been enough for them to crack down and afford to get her lessons. She had started clumsy, as most skaters did. But over the years, she had gotten used to ballet classes and exercises, of gliding across the ice freely, of seeing her friends cheer in delight whenever she nailed a landing or glided around the curve.

"It's what my parents would have wanted too."

"They're not coming to the parade, are they?" Aqua asked the question nervously like she already knew the answer but didn't want it confirmed.

"Even if I wanted them to come…they'd be disapproving of me studying with half-bloods."

Aqua glared at the ground. "Your parents are assholes. Plain and simple."

"Now you know why I'm not exactly 'elated' by the prospect of being Homecoming Queen," Elsa murmured. Something else had turned her off from receiving the crown. While there were half-bloods nominated, she, a human with no fantastical blood whatsoever, was chosen to wear the crown. Someone else deserved to wear it, to give St. George a role model, of overcoming the bigotry.

Speaking of bigotry, a crowd was gathered outside of the student union building. They were carrying poster boards that were either taped to poles or being held aloft. The colors of the 'big three' fantasicals - green for faerie, orange for dragon, and blue for merpeople - popped out from the clothing choices to the poster boards. One sign had a skewed perception of the famous Uccello painting, but instead of the dragon being impaled, it was the knight. They were whooping and cheering as someone stood on the concrete wall separating tables from the rosebushes below. Elsa could make out comments about "hatred" and "right to love". This speaker was Santa Claus in the flesh if he were into fighting for fantastical rights. A band in the three colors was stretched across his waist, nearly hidden by his long white beard.

"So what if your parents were fantastical?" the speaker asked, "Fantastical is what made you who were are. Your abilities and your appearances make you who you are. Do not be ashamed! Are you ashamed?"

"NO!" the crowd cheered.

"The Knights of Humanity only standup for half of St. George!" the head continued. "They protect the people who look at us with mixed reactions. Their hearts are in right place, but over the years, we've seen…"

"FUCK OFFICER BLACK!" someone screamed.

The speaker held up a hand to ease the crowd, which started to tense and grow restless at the shout. That comment had hit home for many. As the crowd started dying down, he continued. "We've seen fear grow in place of curiosity. We have seen people choose to look at our gifts as corruptions. By lashing out in anger, not just at Officer Black but everyone, we are only confirming…"

Aqua placed a hand on the crook of Elsa's arm and dragged her away, snapping her out of the daze. How long had she been staring at the rally? What had Officer Black done? Even better, who was Officer Black? It was such a common last name that it could have been any regular police officer. Yet the reverse scenario painting confirmed one thing for Elsa. Whoever Officer Black was, he was a disliked member of the Knights of Humanity.

They walked away from the small protest and down the stairs to Titania Plaza. The name came, according to some tour guide when the girls were freshmen, a half-faerie student noticing a star in the sky, which just so happened to be a moon that shared the name with the famous Faerie Queen, who then appeared and blessed his findings, earning him the highest grade in his class. The plaza thus was popular among students during final exams and midterms with the hopes a fantastical would bless their studies. But during regular school hours, the plaza was more likely a place for students to fail at skateboarding tricks or make out by the statue depicting the Faerie Queen Titania.

"Does the piece go here?"

Elsa and Aqua paused again. Instead of a protest, they were hearing someone asking a question they couldn't decide was rhetorical or genuine. They both turned their heads. The speaker was a young man. He was limber in frame, so limber that he could have been snapped in two by how skinny he was. His skin was pale but not from lack of vitamin D. His eyes were blue, and his hair…his hair was a startling white. Not frosted tipped like 90's boy bands or in the same family as Elsa's natural platinum blonde, but a white that could have been synthetic but was, in fact, very real. He was perched in the boughs of a tree, reading a paper in an overdramatic manner. Some onlookers were throwing coins into a small can he had situated at the base of the tree.

"No; that section's too tight.  
The piece goes along the edges.  
The picture…it's not quite finished.  
There are still holes, holes from the patches.  
Yet in the holes, there are glimpses to the working surface.  
That surface has seen more than the pieces of the picture  
The picture you are working so hard to cover.  
That picture is unfinished, but give it time,  
Give it attention. Give it an opportunity  
To fill the holes.  
One the picture is done, one final question remains.  
Do you keep it whole? Or do you take it apart,  
Exposing the working surface behind.  
The beauty of the picture is, you have the option.  
The picture can be torn apart…and put together again  
On a different surface, a different location.  
A different time.  
No matter how many times you take apart the picture,  
It will still be the same person…no matter what the background."

The girls saw that he was looking directly at them when he finished his poem. Aqua clapped politely. Elsa joined in the set. Seeing he had an audience in them, the boy grinned. Even his smile was white. His blue eyes seemed to get brighter. He leaped from the tree, somersaulting to stand close enough to them where he wasn't shouting but comfortable enough to keep personal bubbles from being popped.

"You're quite the performer," Aqua remarked.

The boy bowed flamboyantly, "Why, thank you. It is in my nature after all. Oh, introductions. My name's Jack. Jack Frost." Like a magician, he conjured a business card from the sleeve of his ice-blue hoodie. His name was imposed in cobalt letters under a mandala pattern. After the two girls gave their names, without business cards, he grinned at Elsa. "I must say, getting a hearing from the Homecoming Queen herself is just the cherry on top of an enthused reading."

"So…Jack…" Aqua pocketed the card. "do you read poetry out here often?"

"Only when my philosophy class gets canceled, which it did."

"And how much money do you make?" Elsa asked.

Jack went to his can. He pulled out a few bills and loose change and counted. "This is…pretty minuscule. But given the Fantastical Rally going on outside the SUB, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was expecting it."

Aqua and Elsa exchanged looks. Right. The rally was probably scaring people away from Jack's sessions. He was eloquent to the say the least. Energetic like a kid who had too much coffee. Maybe he did have too much coffee and getting all the poetry out was coping. He also was, well, a free spirit. He didn't care if some people were laughing at him prancing around a tree describing something in fancy words. He wasn't bad-mouthing Fantasticals either. He just stated the protest was what kept people away like it was common knowledge. But he did seem…a bit turned down by it.  
Aqua swiped a blue hair from behind her ear, "What was your poem called?"

Jack untucked the paper he had been reading from and looked at the title, "Jigsaws."

"Ah," Aqua's eyes lit up in realization, "makes sense."

"Would you like me to read you another one?" Jack asked.  
Elsa looked at the clock. "I would, but I need to get to my class. Unlike you, my class didn't get canceled." Costuming. One of her favorite classes. Where else did people get to sew for an easy A? "Another time, though?"

Jack and Aqua waved after Elsa as she sprinted away from Titania plaza. The blue-haired girl was suddenly feeling the social anxiety come. Without Moana or Elsa, she tended to freeze. Especially with this cute guy who was giving her attention. She hadn't forgotten that he was looking mostly at her when he read. He may have commented on Elsa being homecoming queen, but his interest was seemingly focused more on her. Aqua frowned at the money jar, "It doesn't help much, does it?"  
Jack shrugged, "This gets me a meal at the SUB at least." As he brushed back a white hair, Aqua caught a sign he was not just a mischievous artsy kid.

His ears were slightly pointed.

Seeing Aqua's eyes light up, Jack turned away. His stepfather was the one at the protest now. Yeah, he was a half-blood, so what? There was a reason he didn't go anywhere without a hood or hoodie. The least he could do was hide his ears. The hair he could make up a white lie – no pun intended – about. That it was a dye job gone wrong or a wig because he had to shave his head for losing a bet. The Knights of Humanity had stripped him away of so much. His stepfather and foster family had been supportive enough, but it didn't take away years of bullying and ridicule.

But Jack heard a rattle in the can. He looked down. Aqua had slipped a coin in. Her smile was kind. He wanted to say something, that just her listening to his poem was enough. He had no customers, well, not ones that stayed and listened to what he had to say.

"I've got time," Aqua chirped. "You can read me another poem if you'd like."

Jack smiled warmly. "Any requests?"

"Do you have any poems involving flying?"

"I might have some in here…"


End file.
